Weighted lap pad

ABSTRACT

A weighted lap pad  10  is provided to be positioned about the legs  72  and  74  and the waist of a child  66 . The lap pad  10  includes a first and second elongated support member  12  and  18  respectively. An elongated plurality of weighted members  26, 28, 30, 32  and  34  respectively are successively coupled to each other. The first and second elongated support members  12  and  18  are coupled to the weighted members  28  and  32 . As a result the weighted lap pad  10  can be secured around a child&#39;s waist and positioned on a child  66  so that the elongated weighted member  26  rests over the side of the leg  72  of the child, the weighted members  28, 30  and  32  rest in the lap  64  of the child and the weighted member  34  rest over the other leg  74  of the child. As a result the child is given an uninterrupted felling to stay seated.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a lap pad and more particularly to a weightedlap pad for children with development disorders such as autism andattention deficit disorder. Treatment for children having developmentdisorders is an ongoing concern. Many of the treatment strategies forthese children require that they are in a seated position. Keeping thechild in a seated position during therapeutic sessions can be a problem.Often when undergoing therapeutic treatment it is very difficult for achild with these conditions to understand and feel the need to stayseated. Accordingly it is desirable to provide a means for giving achild undergoing treatment while seated a feeling that they should stayseated during the treatment regiment.

BACKGROUND OF THE ART

There are many treatment regiments today for children with developmentdisorders, such as, for example autism and attention deficit disorder. Agreat number of the treatments have to be implemented while the child issitting although the child often does not feel or understand the need tobe seated. Recognizing this problem a number of attempts have been madeto provide tools to assist in keeping the child seated. Often thearrangement is simply a weighted member which is sat in the child's lapwhile seated.

These arrangements are not designed in a manner so that they can beeasily maintained in position on the child. As a result they can easilyfall off if there is any movement whatsoever by the child. This ofcourse would hinder the treatment process. These arrangements reallydon't attempt to deal with the problem of undesired movement andattempts to stand up by the child. What is needed is a device that canrest in the child's lap in such a manner that undesired movement willnot defeat the purpose of the device. That is a device that is notreadily removed by movement of the child thereby giving the child anuninterrupted feeling that they should stay seated.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

A weighted lap pad is provided to be positioned about the legs and waistof a user. The lap pad includes first and second elongated cable memberswith each one having a locking member coupled to an outermost endthereof. An elongated weighted member is provided. The first and secondelongated cable members are coupled at innermost ends thereof to theelongated weighted member so that first predetermined portions thereofcan be positioned in the user's lap, and so that second and thirdpredetermined portions thereof can be positioned to overlap the user'slegs when the first and second locking members are lockingly engagedaround the waist of the user thereby helping the user to feel a need tostay seated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The details of the invention will be described in connection with theaccompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a weighted lap pad in accordance withthe principles of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a weighted lap pad secured in positionabout a user in accordance with the principles of this invention.

FIG. 3 is a back view of a locking mechanism of the weighted lap padsecured in position about a user in accordance with the principles ofthis invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, a weighted lap pad, generallydesignated by the numeral, 10 is provided. The weighted lap pad 10includes a first elongated support member or belt, generally designatedby the numeral, 12 having a locking member 14 coupled to an innermostend 16 thereof. A second elongated support member generally designatedby the numeral, 18 is also provided having a locking member 20 coupledto an innermost end 22 thereof. The lap pad 10 also includes anelongated weighted member, generally designated by the numeral, 24. Theelongated weighted member 24 includes a plurality of flexible ovalshaped weight members 26, 28 30, 32 and 34 respectively. Each weightedmember 26, 28, 30, 32 and 34 is successively coupled to the next weightmember in coupling engagement therewith. The members 26, 28, 30, 32 and34 may, for example, be made of vinyl or any such material that cam beeasily sanitized. The first elongated support member 12 is coupled at anoutermost end 38 thereof to an intermediate portion 40 of the weightedmember 28. The second elongated support member 14 is coupled at anoutermost end 42 thereof to an intermediate portion 44 of the weightedmember 32.

The locking member 14 is provided with a rectangular shaped base member46 having elongated openings 48 and 50 formed therein. A pair ofoutwardly urging spring biased elongated engaging members 52 each havingan abutment 54 formed thereon are coupled to laterally extend from thebase member 46. The outermost end 16 of the first elongated supportmember 12 is supported in the openings 48 and 50 of the base member 46in a well known manner to facilitate coupling of the elongated supportmember to the locking member 12.

The locking member 20 is provided with a base member 56. The base member56 is provided with a laterally extending opening 58. The base member 56also includes an opening 60 (only one shown) formed on each side 62thereof. The spring biased elongated members 52 of the first lockingmember 14 of the elongated support member are inserteable through theopening 58 in the locking member 20. This allows the abutments 54 tolockingly engage the sides 62 of the second locking member when thereare aligned with the openings 60. This permits the elongated supportmembers 12 and 18 to be secured around the waist of the user.

When it is desired to use the weighted lap pad 10 the weighted members28 30 and 32 are placed in the lap 64 of a child 66 so that the weightedmembers rest in the child's lap. The weighted member 26 is positioned sothat it extends over the side 70 of one leg 72 of the child 66 and theweight member 34 extends over the side 74 of the other leg 76 of thechild. The first and second elongated support members 12 and 18 are thensecured around the waist 78 of the child 66. When the lap pad 10 issecured in the proper position across and over the legs of the child 66the child is provided with an ongoing sensation to stay seated. This ofcourse facilitates a positive therapeutic intervention.

It should be understood that various changes and modifications can bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention asdefined in the following claims.

1. A weighted lap pad to positioned across the legs of a seated childand secured around the child's waist including: an elongated weightedmember having first, second and third predetermined portions; a firstelongated support member coupled at an outermost end thereof to a firstintermediate portion of the second portion of the first elongatedweighted member; a first locking member coupled to an innermost end ofthe first elongated support member; a second elongated support membercoupled at an outermost end thereof to a second intermediate portion ofthe second portion of the elongated weighted member; and a secondlocking member coupled to an innermost end of the second elongatedmember being secured around the child's waist so that the first andthird portions of the elongated weight members overlap a respective oneof the legs of the child and so that the second portion of the elongatedweighted member is positioned across the child's legs.
 2. A weighted lappad as defined in claim 1 wherein the elongated weighted members includea first, second, third, fourth and fifth oval shaped weighted memberssuccessively coupled to each other.
 3. A weighted lap pad as defined inclaim 2 wherein the first elongated support member is coupled at anoutermost end thereof to an intermediate portion of the secondcylindrically shaped weighted member and the second elongated supportmember is coupled at an outermost end thereof to an intermediate portionof the fourth cylindrically shaped weighted member.
 4. A weighted lappad as defined in claim 3 wherein the first locking member includes: afirst rectangularly shaped base member having a pair of elongatedopenings formed therein for facilitating coupling of an innermost end ofthe first elongated member thereto; and a pair of inwardly spring-biasedelongated engaging members coupled to extend laterally from the basemember.
 5. A weighted lap pad as defined in claim 4 wherein the secondlocking member includes: a second rectangularly shaped base memberhaving a laterally extending opening formed therein for facilitating thecoupling of the innermost end of the second elongated member to the basemember; a first opening formed on one side of the base member; and asecond opening formed on another side of the base member.